BDR Mutiny
Mutineers were alerted to possible army attack: PW
Mutineers at Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters on Feb 25, 2009 took up arms and returned to their positions soon after the home minister left Pilkhana quarters after talks with them.
They were asked by their leaders to remain alert against a probable attack on the BDR headquarters by the army.
Major Abdullah Al Mamun yesterday revealed these crucial moments during his deposition before a session judge's court set up at the Alia Madrassa ground in the city. He was the 22nd prosecution witness of the BDR carnage case.
“All lights were switched off and gates locked. We were asked not to make any noise”, he said.
Confined inside a prison cell of the quarter guard, Mamun watched the events unfold through a hole in his cell door. Earlier he saw jawans surrendering their weapons to the home minister.
“But after she left, the jawans took up weapons again,” he said.
Maj Mamun hid behind a steel wardrobe at a clerk's office inside Pilkhana when the mutiny broke out on February 25. He heard Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) Nasir giving orders over a loudspeaker asking soldiers to take up arms from a pick-up van and prepare for a fight.
Mamun managed to contact army officers over his cell phone and alert them about the situation inside Pilkhana. He also suggested suitable strategies to tackle the armed jawans.
However, he was soon found out.
Mamun said he heard someone announce over loudspeakers: "Major Mamun is in hiding inside Pilkhana and informing the cantonment about us. He suggested the army attack us with tanks. Find him and kill him.”
The mutineers dragged him out and beat him with the butt of rifles.
"When they prepared to shoot me, I begged for my life for the sake of my children,” he recalls.
Mamun was then confined in the prison cell from where he was rescued on February 26.
Following his deposition, defence lawyers cross-examined him.
Counsel Aminul Islam told him that an officer like a DAD did not have the authority to make announcements under BDR laws. They asked him how he could be sure that he heard DAD Nasir make these announcements.
Mamun said that DAD Nasir did indeed make the announcements and that he (Major Mamun) recognised the man because of his familiarity with Nasir's voice.
The court will resume today with further cross-examination of the witness.
74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed during the two-day mutiny.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments